Michael Froman – Strategic thinker

Of the handful of iconic photographs of Barack Obama’s presidency, the sweetest one without question is the snapshot of him chasing a toddler in a little pink dress around his desk in the Oval Office. Actually, he is ahead of her and she is trying to keep up with his athletic gait. But you get the idea. Her name is Sarah and her antics are a reliable indicator of the Oval Office access enjoyed by her father, Michael Froman, one of the president’s close friends and advisers, who was sworn in as US Trade Representative in June 2013.

In a town where location is everything, Froman has been at the epicentre for quite some time, starting with the Clinton administration and – having spent the Bush years in the private sector – returning when Obama was elected. The mild-mannered Princeton graduate with sharp blue eyes and wit to match met Obama in the late 1980s at Harvard Law School, when they both served on the über-prestigious Law Review.

That Froman has soared to such professional heights is no surprise, considering his academic credentials: Princeton, Harvard and a doctorate from Oxford. But in Washington, such an array of diplomas is no automatic guarantee of success. What distinguishes those who make it is how they navigate the corridors of power and how they interact with the people with whom and for whom they work.

“Michael’s superb intellect was clear from our time at Harvard Law. But what has been remarkable is watching him apply it practically, first in the Clinton administration and now in the current administration, to become an outstanding policy-maker and trusted adviser to President Obama,” notes a classmate who served with him in the Clinton years and remains close to both Froman and Obama.

Froman’s first boss in Washington was Robert Rubin, who recruited the 30-year-old to the White House National Economic Council as director of international economic affairs. In 1995, shortly after Rubin moved up the street to become Treasury Secretary, Froman joined him as deputy assistant secretary for Eurasia and the Middle East. Two years later, he became Rubin’s chief of staff, a job that requires mastery of the issues and sharp managerial and political skills. As one of his colleagues from that time put it, “Froman is a rigorous, careful, but also a creative policy-maker… He has, throughout his career, been considered extremely professional and collegial.”

Today, as he circles the globe at a dizzying pace (he recently travelled to Brussels, Geneva and Bali, all in the space of a few days), he remains as cool-headed and thoughtful as ever. “Mike is a strategic thinker who sets ambitious goals and then delivers,” says Brooke Anderson, who worked closely with him as chief of staff for the White House National Security Staff. “He is also a brilliant negotiator, who walks into the room not only knowing exactly what he needs out of the negotiation but also with a keen understanding of what the other side needs.”

As the Clinton years drew to a close, Froman moved his family to New York, joining Rubin at Citigroup. He also remained involved in policy matters, serving as a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations – another sought-after title in the Washington-New York corridor – and often engaging friends and colleagues in animated debates about the future of US foreign and economic policy.

Everything started to move very quickly when Obama decided to run for the Senate. Froman rallied immediately to the cause, advising and supporting the candidate as he was elected to represent the state of Illinois. When Obama took office as 44th President of the United States in January 2009, Froman was named Assistant to the President (the highest commission one can have) in charge of international economic affairs. He was also given the much-coveted position of sherpa for the G8 and G20. Obama’s new economic team had to be ready from the start. “We came into the biggest financial crisis in 80 years,” says Froman, who had only two months to prepare for the second-ever meeting of the G20.

Curriculum Vitae

1962: Born, San Rafael, California

1985: Degree in public and international affairs, Princeton University

1988: Doctorate in international relations, Oxford University

1991: Law degree at Harvard Law School

1992: Intern at the Forward Studies Unit of the European Commission in Brussels

1993-96: Director for International Economic Affairs on the National Economic Council and National Security Council, The White House, Washington

1997-99: Chief of staff, Department of the Treasury

1999-: Chief of staff to chairman, Citigroup, 2008 New York; president and CEO of CitiInsurance; managing director, Citigroup, in charge of infrastructure and sustainable development investments. Senior fellow at Council on Foreign Relations

2004-08: Adviser to Barack Obama during Senate and presidential campaigns; member advisory board of the Obama campaign’s transition team

2009-13: Assistant to the President and deputy national security adviser for International Economic Affairs, The White House. Sherpa for the G20 and G8

2013-: US Trade Representative

At a time when stimulus measures are hard to come by in both the US and Europe, expanding trade offers one of the few options for encouraging economic recovery

Froman did not rest much during the first term. So when Obama was re-elected, and everyone was trying to predict who would get what post, pundits had their eye on him. He could aspire to nearly any job he wanted. Where would he go? The answer took many people by surprise. US Trade Representative is certainly an important policy job. But it is a lesser-known agency, a tad removed from the centre of power. Why would the President select it for one of his smartest and most trusted allies?

The answer is that Obama was sending a clear signal about strategic priorities. “His appointment is further proof that trade issues are front and centre for this administration,” argues Anderson. The ambitious global trade agenda set since Froman took office offers even more tangible evidence of that. With a World Trade Organisation that does not seem likely to produce a far-reaching agreement any time soon, Washington has embarked on another path, directly negotiating sweeping deals with countries in Asia (albeit not China) and with the European Union. The much touted Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, to encompass trade, investment and regulatory matters, has watershed potential.

“The effort to conclude a free-trade pact between the US and Europe has surprising momentum on both sides of the Atlantic,” says Charles Kupchan of the Council on Foreign Relations, suggesting there are economic as well as political benefits. “At a time when stimulus measures are hard to come by in both the US and Europe, expanding trade offers one of the few options for encouraging economic recovery.”

Seen from the White House, the challenge is even greater. “We want it to be a comprehensive agreement that includes the broad range of issues that affect trade,” explains Froman, pointing to regulatory matters and standard-setting, but also geopolitics. “We want to work together with the EU and vis-à-vis other countries and regions in ways that are commensurate with the strongest alliance we have in the world.”

Froman’s nomination as USTR would have been enough to debunk the concern expressed by some that Washington is turning away from Europe. His actions – along with the energy he is deploying in pursuit of what would be a ground-breaking step in the history of trade negotiations – are a vivid illustration of the Obama administration’s commitment to vibrant transatlantic relations. Now, the challenge is to hammer out a deal – no small task with such a broad agenda, but Froman is convinced they are off to a good start.